In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract on a medium speed and mix until light and fluffy.

Add the flour and cocoa powder on a low speed and beat just until all of the flour is well incorporated.

Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment and roughly shape into a disk or square. (if you are making this dough as a slice and bake cookie, shape the dough into a cylinder)

Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap or parchment and refrigerate until fully chilled (at least 2 hours)

When your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 300℉

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ⅓ inch thick and cut into your desired shape using a cookie cutter or a butter knife. (For the slice and bake method, remove your dough from the plastic wrap and slice the dough into ⅓ inch slices and place on the baking tray.)

Place on a baking sheet about ½ inch apart and bake for 20-25 minutes.

After 20-25 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool for one minute on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once completely cool, you can store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. For long term storage, you can place these cookies or the uncooked dough into the freezer.